In The Arms of Someone Who Understand
by Noitavlas
Summary: The Host Club visits the Hot Springs after exam. One-shot.


"In The Arms Of Someone Who Understand"

By: Noitavlas

Haruhi felt her left eye twitch. "Again. . . What are we doing in here?" she asked, barely keeping the tone of her voice away from irritation. Tamaki materialized behind her with his usual dramatic pose, "Ah! Because after 2 days of examinations, as beautiful men of the Host Club, we are entitled to relax and enjoy ourselves to ou-,"

"You just wanted to see Haruhi in the baths." Hikaru commented, interrupting the Host King's speech.

"PERVERT." Haruhi's eyes twitched more as her reaction drove Tamaki crouching on a dark area all the while emitting depressed characters. "Don't worry, Haruhi, the baths are separated according to gender, you'll have the whole pool to yourself." Kaoru gave her a convincing smile. The Host Club's princess sighed in defeat as she allowed herself to be dragged by a hyperactive little senior, followed by his giant cousin. "I get the relaxing part—but we could do that at home! Why go to a Hot spring?" She complained like she usually did. "Because, it's much more fun and relaxing!" Hunny piped up. "B-b-but, on a summer day?" the loli-shota gave her a confused look. "Don't you usually go to a hot spring to relax? We do, don't we, Takashi?"

"Aah."

"Rich bastards."

"Kaoru, I'm going to go bug Haruhi before entering the baths, you coming with me?" Hikaru grinned as he turned around to grab a towel. Kaoru grimaced slightly. "Nah, you go; I'll go exploring." The other twin shrugged as he went to the door, mumbling before he lets it close. Kaoru sighed as he stood there for a minute or two thinking whether or not he'd go on that exploring he told his brother. It was a lie; of course, he wouldn't dare go around without Hikaru by his side. He only merely said it to see whether his brother would go would him. It was pretty obvious to anyone outside the Host Club that he and Hikaru are growing farther and farther apart. It was… disconcerting to say the least. He never did like being far apart from his brother. He was used to always hearing Hikaru's obnoxious comments and crude suggestions. "It seems that he can go on by himself by now. . ." he mumbled to himself hinting his sadness towards the fact. "Maybe I should try that to." He smiled, albeit a little forceful. "I can do that!" He said a little louder. "I'll go exploring on my own!" with a determined grin he marched towards the door. He faltered before he could reach the handle. "I doubt it would be as fun though."

"OKAA-SAN!" Tamaki wailed at his best friend. "Tamaki, I said no. You are not going to put on a wig and fake female breasts just to get in the 'female baths'." Kyouya shook his head as he heard the blond wail some more. All the 'what-if's were making his head hurt. He booked them all separate rooms for the weekend, except for the twins since they insisted that the sleep together. It was a good thing, too. God knows what he might do to Tamaki if the blonde picks him as his room partner. He was about to go on ignoring the Suoh heir when Tamaki grabbed at his left arm violently. The next moments went on a blur as the half-French flew across the room—hitting the wall with a loud thud. "K-Kyouya?" Tamaki muttered, bewildered at both the Ootori's strength and behavior. Picking up his glasses on the floor from when it fell during his assault, he winced slightly. "I apologize for that, Tamaki. But you held on a bruise rather tightly." Kyouya explained as he gained back his usual demeanor. "B-bruise? Kyouya, what happened?" the dark-haired youth fought back to rolling his eyes at the blonde's concern. "Did someone attack you? Did someone try to hurt you? WHO DID IT? Are you going to be alright? Maybe we should cancel and-," Kyouya immediately shut his best friend with a flying shoe. "I'm fine, Tamaki." He said with closed eyes and a sigh. "I fell down the stairs because Fuyumi-neesan was being incompetent." When he opened his eyes he was rather surprised to find himself nose-to-nose with the Host Club's President. "Are you sure?" Tamaki asked in his best imitation of Hunny's 'can-I-have-more-cake' look. With a firm push, Kyouya cleared his throat and answered. "Don't worry, it's just a few bruises, it'll heal over time."

"Ara. . ." Kaoru muttered as he found himself lost in the woods. It was his fifth time that day, and it was starting it grate on his nerves. 'If Hikaru was here I would have never been lost.' He mentally smacked himself upside in the head as he remembered that he was suppose to be having fun WITHOUT Hikaru. "Ah. . . To be lost like this." He recalled another time when he got lost—but those times were with his twin. "We could've got lost together, too." This time he actually let himself soak in self-pity. "I could be lost here forever—with Haruhi as his entertainment, Hikaru would never even probably know I'm missing."

Hikaru paused in chasing after Haruhi as he sneezed. "Geez," he muttered rubbing his nose before running after the cross-dresser again.

Kaoru bit his lower lip to keep from crying. "This is completely ridiculous! I shouldn't be breaking down! I have to get myself back!" he took a deep breath of fresh air as he calmed himself. 'I'll get back to them.' He mentally told himself. 'I'll get back to them so that I could tell them that I'm going home. I don't really want to be here, it's all because everyone was going and I didn't want to be left out… right. That's the best crap I can come up with.'

Kyouya had stayed behind when Tamaki went off to the baths to check on 'their children' on account of applying some cooling balm on his bruises. The blonde made him promise that he'll follow as soon as he's done, but the Ootori doubted that he'd remember. With a sigh he stood and made for the window. After all, the brochure said the view outside was breathtaking, why not try it?

To his surprise, as soon as he opened the window his view was of a breathless Hitachiin. 'Close enough.' He remarked mentally. "Kaoru?" he called to obviously distressed twin. The red head turned to look at him wide eyes. "Kyouya-sempai!" he greeted gladly as he grinned widely. "You don't know how happy I am to see you! I've been lost and wandering around and I didn't know where I was and—" Kyouya shook his head and called him to go around to the front door so that he didn't have to shout everything he needed to say.

"So, let me get this straight—you managed to do all that while lost in the woods?" Kyouya regarded the Hitachiin carefully and found that he was actually quite . . . dirty. The moisture in the woods had dampen his clothes and made it prone to the unknown. His expensive sneakers were muddy, so were half of his pants. With a nod, Kaoru's smile disappeared. "Thank you for calling out to me, Sempai. I would've been lost for a very long time."

"It was nothing. You seemed a little suspicious walking around like that by yourself, I take it you and Hikaru are planning something?" At this Kaoru's face fell.

"No, Sempai. Not today at least."

"Tomorrow, then?"

"Not tomorrow, too."

"Oh? So you really did just lose your way."

"Yeah, it's pretty stupid, I know." The Hitachiin chuckled slightly. "Ne, sempai, can I go home?"

Kyouya gave him a look. "You want to go home?" The red-head nodded. "Don't you want to spend the night? The whole club is here to spend time together without the girls; I thought you'd like that."

"It's not that I don't want to spend time with you guys—it's just that. . ."

"Yes?"

Kaoru sighed and the Ootori knew that it would be long explanation. He invited the twin inside his room, strictly made him leave his shoes outside, and gave him a towel to sit on. He liked his room clean, thank you very much.

"Would you like some tea?" Kyouya offered automatically. "That would be great, Sempai." The red-head gave him a small smile. "So, why did you want to go home, Kaoru?"

"Because. . ." the Hitachiin blinked. What was his reason again? Oddly enough, he forgot all his melancholy after the offer of tea. "B-because. . . I want to?" he trailed off in a nervous chuckle.

Kyouya sighed, he could tell that there was more to it, but he didn't want to make the other boy feel cornered. Lately, he did notice that the younger of the Hitachiin Twins seem to have withdrawn himself from the rest of the club. And if it's going to affect the club funds, then he better get to the bottom of things and fix it. He gestured the other boy to sit anywhere but the bed; to which the boy chose the floor near the door. Why go far when you'll be leaving soon anyway?

"Have you been fighting with Hikaru?" his question, as he intended it to be, was the bomb of the conversation.

"I-I wasn't—we didn't fight! Who said we were fighting?" Kaoru spluttered over his words.

"Kaoru." The tone reminded the younger boy of an old lady reprimanding a young boy for lying . . . which kind of fits his situation—if only the Ootori was born female. "W-we never fight." Kaoru replied in a softer voice.

"I guess I was just kind of feeling a bit left out." The red head admitted.

"Left out?" Kyouya repeated as he walked to where the younger boy was seated and handed him a steaming cup of Darjeeling tea. Kaoru nodded his thanks and blew gently at the surface of his cup.

"Kaoru, if you were feeling that way, why didn't you talk to your brother about it?"

"You think he'd listen?"

"Good point." Kyouya sat down at in front of Kaoru cradling his own cup of tea. "Ah! Sempai, you'll get yourself dirty sitting on the floor!" The twin moved to get a chair only to stop when Kyouya raised a hand. "It's alright, I can wash it off. That's why we're here, yes? To take an enjoying bath in the hot spring?" the older boy smiled as he took a sip of his tea.

"Ah, but still—"

"Speaking of bath, why don't you take a bath before going home? I'm sure that you're itching from all that mud." The dark haired boy gave him a pointed look.

"Ehehe," Kaoru scratched the back of his neck. It has become a habit, really. 'Even Hikaru-," Kyouya watched expressions shift from the younger Hitachiin's face and felt something stir in him. 'Sympathy?' he thought to himself. . . 'Probably. . .'

"Why don't you go and use my bathroom, I'll go see if I have something that fits you." Kaoru's surprise was also his when he realized what he just said. Instead of taking it back though, he heard himself say: "Go on."

He was tempted to believe in mind-control, even, when he stood and offered his hand to the red-head; especially when he all but shoved the protesting boy in the bathroom. "E-err, thanks, Sempai!" he heard Kaoru's late squeak.

"What am I doing?" Kyouya asked silently to himself before heading to his closet to rummage for some clothes Kaoru can wear.

"Wow, I didn't know you had this kind of clothes, Sempai!" Kaoru ogled at his appearance in the mirror. "It's not mine." Kyouya resisted cracking his knuckles from sheer irritation. His sister, Fuyumi, must've slipped it in his luggage just to see his reaction. "It's my sister's." the red head turned disbelieving eyes at the dark-haired boy. "Y-you made me wear girl's clothes!" he accused, feeling betrayed. "It was the only ones that I thought would fit you. And it did." He checked the other boy's appearance and looked away. "You're right, it's weird. Here,-" Kyouya threw a plain black shirt and a pair of navy blue shorts. After a few minutes, Kaoru emerged from the bathroom. "I guess this is okay." He said as he checked his features. "A little baggy, but that's understandable since you're bigger than me."

Kyouya was looking at the clock when the other turned around. "Come on, we should head there before Tamaki makes a fuss about it." Kaoru didn't know why he followed when he said he was going to go back home, but he did.

"Sempai, would you like me to wash you back?" the two boys went back first at the Twins' room to gather Kaoru's clothing and towel before heading to the baths. Kyouya nodded his head at the red head's offer.

"Be careful not to-," the Ootori let out an audible hiss making the twin stop his scrubbing. "S-sempai?" Kaoru kneeled in front of the older boy to ask what was wrong and was surprised to see twinkling onyx orbs looking back at him. "I'm bruised all over; try not to make it any worse." Kyouya sighed as he wiped the few tears that gathered on the corners of his eyes. Kaoru nodded before placing himself back behind the dark haired boy. He grabbed the wash cloth and washed Kyouya's back gently this time. "You concealed it?" the Hitachiin asked, attempting to make light conversation. "I had help from Tachibana." Kyouya's breath hitched every time Kaoru pressed or passed on a bruise. "What happened?"

"I was trying to get away from my sister when she lost her footing." Kyouya sighed in relief when he felt a bucket of warm water was poured on his back. "Want me to do yours?" he offered to which the red head was glad to accept. He always had Hikaru do his back for him. "T-then?" Kaoru inquired as to get his thoughts away from his brother. "Well, we were at the stairs." Kyouya grabbed the wash cloth and began rinsing it before applying some generous amount of soap. "I didn't really think when I decided to catch her and break her fall." He began scrubbing the younger boy's back. "I can't really imagine you doing that, Sempai." Kaoru let out a soft chuckle before yelping when Kyouya pressed on his ribs. "Oh?" the Ootori smirked. "Ticklish, are we?"

"No, I am no—AHHHH! STOP THAT!" Kaoru tried to get away from the assault of the other boy but he ended up on the tiled floor breathless and laughing like mad. To say that Kyouya was having fun physically torturing the other boy was an understatement.

"Oy, Kaoru, what the hell is taking you so lo—" Hikaru paused by the door hearing his brother's pleas to stop. "KAORU!" He called when he got in. He stood frozen to his spot seeing his brother lying beneath the Shadow King breathless and a bit red on the face. "LET GO OF HIM, YOU—YOU—DEMON!" Kaoru was about to ask what the hell was going on but before he could utter a word, Hikaru flew past them and slammed onto a tiled wall. "Eh?" He looked at Kyouya who merely shrugged. "Shall we head for the hot spring?" the older boy suggested.

"Y-yeah, I think we should do that." Kaoru let himself be guided by the Shadow King whilst he glance back to his brother who was still making out with the tile wall. Before they got out there caught a sliver of Hikaru cursing banana peels and soaps.

They both decided to stay away from the rest of the Host Club since Tamaki was making too much noise (because his darling daughter was on the other side of the bamboo wall) and Hunny was splashing around.

Both of them went into the spring slowly as not to get shocked by the warm water.

"Ne, Sempai?" Kyouya turned to the boy on his right. "Hm?"

"Have you ever felt lonely?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Mm, nothing. Just curious."

"Hn, curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back."

Kyouya leaned back and rested his head on the rocks. "So, you're satisfied with my answer?"

Kaoru chuckled. "No, I'm afraid you've killed me." Kyouya laughed at that.

There was silence for a moment before Kyouya spoke.

"Kaoru?"

"Hm?"

"Are you lonely?"

" . . . Maybe."

"Ah."

"Why do you ask?"

"Mm, curious."

"Are you satisfied with my answer?"

"I'm afraid we both just committed murder." They laughed quietly, letting the wonders of the warm water do it's magic. It wasn't long before Kaoru started to nod-off.

"It seems like you've actually exhausted yourself with your little adventure earlier." Kyouya commented as he felt the other boy unconsciously lean towards him. "Just a bit." Kaoru yawned.

"You should go to bed."

"But we just got here."

"You'll drown if you fall asleep here."

"Hold me then."

Kyouya turned his head to the red head to confirm what he just heard. "What?"

"Hold me—(another yawn), so I don't drown."

"Why don't you just go to bed?"

"I don't want to yet."

"But you're already half-asleep."

"Just a little while?"

The dark haired boy sighed as he made room for the Hitcahiin in front of him. Kaoru leaned onto the other boy as he closed his eyes, feeling Kyouya arms securing him in an embrace so that he wouldn't float away.

It didn't take long when the Ootori heard soft snores coming from the boy he was holding and it made him smile a little. "I think I've just been revived."


End file.
